2018's Ironman Boulder was Danielle Lowry’s first full Ironman, and during her recovery phase, she opted into AG Nats at the last minute, and guess what happened? She qualified for Worlds 2019 in Lausanne, Switzerland! Her D3 Coach, Laura Marcoux, shared that her favorite part about working with Danielle is that she is so incredibly talented, and the more Danielle realizes that, her results grow exponentially.
Laura recognizes that Danielle is capable of competing with the best in the world. She provides specific and challenging workouts, and Danielle doesn’t back down from them and says that the amount of growth Danielle has achieved as an athlete and as a person, this season are really what it's all about!
Enjoy the Q&A with Danielle and her insights about racing at a high level.
In looking back at your first Ironman, what are some bits of advice/tips you can share with other soon-to-be first-time Ironman athletes?
You finished Top 25 in the World and Top 10 USA at the 2019 ITU World Championships in early September. Describe your mindset as you went into the race, and did you meet/exceed your goals for the race?
Going into the race I was incredibly calm and confident. I knew that I had prepared to the best of my ability and was excited to see all that hard work shine on race day. My goals were to:
a. be present,
b. execute my race strategy including nailing my nutrition and being strategic with my efforts, and
c. to leave it all out on the course. I was focused on having the best race that I could on that given day. Competing for Team USA was a dream come true for me and I just wanted to take it all in!
What challenging workouts has Coach Laura prescribed that have pushed you further than you thought you could go, and how does that translate to your race confidence?
There are so many! Coach Laura has a unique talent for quietly building your workouts up to a key training session that makes you think, "wait, this workout is crazy hard, and I think that I can actually do it." She believed in me before I did and used challenging workouts to convince me of my own strength. Here are just a few examples:
Have you taken time off in September? When you aren't training, what/how do you spend your time?
Yes! I'm currently enjoying off-season. I've been going to concerts at Red Rocks during the week, meeting up with friends after work, running for fun, and basically just enjoying the freedom of time without long workouts.
Describe how you came to the sport of triathlon and how/why it's important to you.
I got into the sport of triathlon shortly after getting back into the pool after an 8-year hiatus (former competitive swimmer here!). I signed my husband and myself up for a sprint triathlon up in Steamboat on a whim. One race and we were hooked! I loved how friendly the other triathletes were and the excitement of changing between swim, bike, and run. Those two things hold true today.
My D3 teammates are some of the best humans I know. Over the past three years, triathlon has become something that I love. It makes me feel alive. I love the early mornings, the weekend rides, the purpose that different training cycles bring to my days, and the outlet from work stress.
Quick Bits:
1) Favorite piece of gear - my D3 swimsuit
2) Favorite recovery treat (not meal, but treat!) - chocolate!
3) What's in your race bag you cannot live without? - Extra pairs of goggles. It a superstition from my old swimming days.
4) If you could swim, ride, or run anywhere in the world, where would you go? I would love to go back to Lausanne.
We are so proud of Danielle and her accomplishments! It's a pleasure to turn the spotlight on her. We 100% look forward to her 2020 season.
